The hit to the economy would tank all their *revenues* worse than they already have fallen. It’s all they care about: money and power. Someone has done some insider polls that convinced them they would lose both quickly if they tried to pass this scam.
They have seen a future without a golden goose and it scared them straight.
Yeah, I believe the Washingtonians also sense there that they might be moving a little too fast in their destruction of the country, and that it may galvanize the people to escalated action (think Tea Parties on steroids).